Are Cold Showers Safe for the Brain?

[SQAAD]

Is it safe to take cold showers for my brain?

I have been taking cold showers on and off for the last 8 months. Recently i pour a lot of cold water to my head for quite long periods of time.

Edited May 14, 2021 by SQAAD

[kinesin]

Are you doing the Wim Hof method, by any chance?

Cold showers are perfectly safe for your brain.  The breathing exercises on the other hand... that's not so certain.

[Inliytened1]

@SQAAD if you can do sauna sessions and then go into a cold plunge or a cold pool that is even better than cold showers.

[Snader]

I do a combo of sauna and swimming in an ice cold water once a week during winter time and I've noticed nothing but positive benefits both mentally and physically.

Though I don't dip my head in the water too often. I've heard it's not wise to do so but haven't done any research on it.

[SQAAD]

@kinesin

On 14/5/2021 at 8:24 PM, kinesin said:

Are you doing the Wim Hof method, by any chance?

Cold showers are perfectly safe for your brain.  The breathing exercises on the other hand... that's not so certain.

I don't do Wim Hof specifically. But ocassianally i might do some deep breathing for a while.

Edited May 16, 2021 by SQAAD

[Village]

For the brain yes, for the rest of the body not so much. The whole idea behind cold showers is to stress your body, which in turns releases adrenaline and cortisol and white blood cells. It causes an immune response in the body, which should already say everything about how healthy cold showers are, lol. People say that after a while they don't get sick anymore - good job, you depleted your bone marrow and your immune system has stopped working.

It used to be common sense to listen to your body and not, for example, jump into cold water. Not so much anymore it seems.

Edited May 17, 2021 by Village

[Michael569]

1 hour ago, Village said:

For the brain yes, for the rest of the body not so much. The whole idea behind cold showers is to stress your body, which in turns releases adrenaline and cortisol and white blood cells. It causes an immune response in the body, which should already say everything about how healthy cold showers are, lol. People say that after a while they don't get sick anymore - good job, you depleted your bone marrow and your immune system has stopped working.

It used to be common sense to listen to your body and not, for example, jump into cold water. Not so much anymore it seems.

You've literally just parroted this whole video. If you're trying to be openminded, why not take in other sources. 

 

 

[Village]

@Michael569 I've taken in other sources, I was into cold showers myself in the past.

[DIDego]

Balance, all or nothing? 

100% meat?

100% non-vegan?

What is an cold shower?

Body temperature minus what degree?

How low degree are the water we talking about?

How are you doing the cold shower?

 

[SQAAD]

@DIDego

On 17/5/2021 at 2:33 PM, DIDego said:

 

How low degree are the water we talking about?

How are you doing the cold shower?

 

I am just doing a 'normal' cold shower using my bath. I have no idea about the temperatures.

[DIDego]

I have tried a lot of ways to use shower, as a tool for all kind of reasons.

Wimhoff are also something i tried and will maybe use if necessary again. 

Everybody are different and also the reasons and situations.

At the moment i follow mostly these advice from Sadhguru, that are pretty balanced, with some various change during some periods.

 

 

[BlackMaze]

In my experience it's the best thing you can do for your health, energy and brain. Doing cold showers for many months now and they changed my life. 

[Jodistrict]

On 5/14/2021 at 7:54 AM, SQAAD said:

Is it safe to take cold showers for my brain?

I have been taking cold showers on and off for the last 8 months. Recently i pour a lot of cold water to my head for quite long periods of time.

I did a day Wim Hof seminar and have been taking cold showers every day.  But we were instructed not to put the head under cold water, just the body.   Putting the head under cold water is an extra shock and not necessary.

[Mason Riggle]

excerpt from this article- https://www.bustle.com/p/how-cold-weather-affects-your-brain-according-to-experts-19367014

"Unlike your sweater-wearing body, your brain itself doesn't register the change in temperature in any physical way. “Your actual brain is locked up inside an insulated safe with its own heating system, like radiant floor heating in a ski chalet," Dr. Clifford Segil, M.D., a neurologist at Providence Saint John's Health Center, tells Bustle. He explains that the body's central nervous system, which includes the spinal column and brain, is encased in bone to protect it. Aside from insulating bone, there are also other substances keeping the brain warm: a layer of shock absorption tissue on the inside of the skull called the meninges, and a fluid that runs across the surface of the brain and spinal cord, called cerebrospinal fluid. "The brain is placed inside these structures to keep it a perfect temperature to work," Dr. Segil says."

"Freezing someone’s head is not going to result in the brain cooling, though it may cause frostbite on their ears or nose," Dr. Segil says. The brain is very well-protected from the outer world inside the body, even in extreme cold temperatures."

[King Merk]

I’ve been doing cold exposure for years now and simple things like taking a cold shower are certainly safe.

Now when you get into the heavier stuff like full body submersion in cold water (ice baths, winter swimming, minimal clothing running in cold, etc) then things can get a bit dangerous.

I’ve done some shit that made me feel like I was dying like 10+ minute long ice baths. You have to have A LOT of mental fortitude and physical training for that.

I have also noticed that sometimes after I get out of a full body cold water submersion that my coordination and balance is off.

But this only happens when I dip my head under as well so I think the cold water does something to my vestibular system.

But short answer is yes, cold showers are very safe. 

[SQAAD]

@Village

On 17/5/2021 at 11:34 AM, Village said:

For the brain yes, for the rest of the body not so much. The whole idea behind cold showers is to stress your body, which in turns releases adrenaline and cortisol and white blood cells. It causes an immune response in the body, which should already say everything about how healthy cold showers are, lol. People say that after a while they don't get sick anymore - good job, you depleted your bone marrow and your immune system has stopped working.

It used to be common sense to listen to your body and not, for example, jump into cold water. Not so much anymore it seems.

I don't buy this. First time i took a cold shower after a long time, i had caughs, almost closed throat and other signs of being cold.

The next days i continued the cold showers, there was no more closed throat or anything like that. That is a sign of an improved system to me. Not the otherwise.